Ch'an and Zen Teaching: Third Series

Chán (simplified Chinese: 禅; traditional Chinese: 禪, abbr. of chánnà (禪那), from Sanskrit dhyāna,[1] meaning "meditation" or "meditative state"[2]) is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism developed in China from the 6th century CE onwards, becoming dominant during the Tang and Song dynasties. After the Song, Chán more or less fused with the Pure Land school. From China, Chán spread south to Vietnam and east to Korea (where it is known as Seon) and, in the 13th century, to Japan, where it became known as Zen. The Chán/Zen tradition became the best-known instance of Buddhism in the Western World.